Fifty Year
Commemorative
1948-1998

               
1998 Morris Celebration Convocation Speech

Journey Through
The Years

For more information:

Southern Illinois University
Office of the President
Mailcode 6801
Carbondale, Illinois 62901

618.536.3331 voice
jhaller@notes.siu.edu email

In his 22-year tenure (1948-1970), Morris transformed a 3,000-student teacher's college into a major international university with an enrollment that in the 1960s ranked among the highest 25 in the nation. Today, Morris is revered not only for his vision of what SIU could become but also for his devotion and skill in making it happen.

At Carbondale's Homecoming weekend on October 16-18, SIU will kick off a yearlong series of events designed to celebrate Morris' enormous contributions and influence to SIU and to southern Illinois. Joining in the celebration will be Dorothy Morris, Delyte's wife whom he called "my secret weapon," and their two sons, Peter and Michael. All three now live in Chapel Hill, N.C. Delyte Morris died in 1982.

The Homecoming weekend festivities include the dedication of the Dorothy Morris Gardens, a series of current and future gar den plots at the northwest corner of Faner Hall. The location is particularly si gnificant because the oncampus home that the Morrises occupied for most of his p residency stood near that location; the house was razed in order to build Faner Hall ... [continued]